Transcript

"A Constructive Use of the Sense of Shame"
text: The parable of the prodigal Son
Introduction:(1) This is the beginning of another year. And as we look back upon the last year we have many things to be proud of. (a) We emerged from the long and dreary night of the Korean war and were able to stand in the bright sunlight of a truce. (b) Progress in race relations. The walls of segregation are gradually crumpling. (2) On the other hand we have much to be ashamed of both collectively and personally. We are so painfully aware that the "isness" of our present nature is out of proportion to the eternal "oughtness" forever confronting us.
However the main question is what is our attitude toward this sense of shame. What are we doing with the sense of shame? There are at least two attitudes that can result from the sense of shame. (1) The destructive use -- it [crossed out, illegible] leads to despair and cynicism (2) The constructive use -- the method of the prodigal.
The truths of this text has both social and personal implication, Let us turn first to the social.
I The Social implication. We are ashamed of our world. We are painfully aware of the mess that we have left it in.
(a) international relations
see [Harry Emerson] Fosdick's [Underlined: A Great Time to Be Alive], p. 17
Mention Kirtley [F.] Mather [Underlined: Enough and to Spare] concerning the economic situation